Tien Khuan
Tien Khuan is a heroic human distinguished for having been Lin Chung's master. Little is currently known of him, and he has only appeared in a sort of astral state (except in flashbacks), making it unclear whether he is alive or deceased. Biography Tien Khuan was born, by his own admission, over two hundred years ago, during the reign of the last generation of Animal Lords. As a younger man, he became fascinated with the long and mysterious history of Hidden Kingdom. During this time, he met and became acquainted with Chiung Ming, and the two began to seek ancient artifacts together. Their partnership was shattered when they discovered the Sword of Dark Fire. Upon realizing its true power, Tien Khuan thought the sword was too dangerous and should never be used, but Chiung Ming disagreed and the two fought. Chiung Ming won and claimed the sword. Tien Khuan went to the Animal Lords, who agreed to help, and together they waged war with Chiung Ming. They eventually won when the sword was cursed, causing Chiung Ming great pain when he used it. They then banished Chiung Ming to the far corners of the realm and sealed the sword away. Following these events, Tien Khuan was distressed over the destruction caused by the conflict and sought to restore order to Hidden Kingdom. He sought out the Masters of Harmony, a secluded order who trained in the art of Harmonic Energy. He learned the art and eventually became the last of that order. However, he did not remain at their temple, but instead went on to found a school of his own to teach students in the art of combat. He trained a number of students, including Shan and Fanzou, but did not find any who were prepared to learn the art of Harmonic Energy. At one point, he learned of a boy named Lin Chung, who, as a result of a complex situation within his family, had been left on his own. He agreed to go and meet the boy, leaving his school in the hands of his best students. When he met Lin Chung, he did not tell him his identity immediately, only telling him that he had been sent to pick him up, as he wished to see what sort of person he was. When they made it to Tien Khuan's school, the found that it had been attacked and ransacked by an enemy, and most of the students had fled. The few who remained were in disarray. Tien Khuan was disappointed by the cowardice of his students, and vowed to seek out the enemy who had attacked it. Realizing that the young Lin Chung had nowhere else to go, he asked if the boy wished to accompany him, and formally introduced himself for the first time. The two traveled far and wide after that point and Tien Khuan taught Lin Chung many things. However, sensing that dark times were coming to Hidden Kingdom, Tien Khuan sent him toward the region of East Citadel, where he would later get involved with the conflict with HighRoller. He advised him that he would need many friends to be successful. After this time, Tien Khuan returned to the temple that had belonged to the Masters of Harmony and honed his skills, knowing that a greater enemy was coming. Eventually Twin Masters arrived, intending to do away with those who had the power to harm them. Tien Khuan and Twin Masters fought, and Twin Masters managed to defeat the lone master. However, Tien Khuan managed to live on in an astral state, which he used to seek out and contact Lin Chung, and began to teach him to wield Harmonic Energy, to which end he created numerous illusions for his student to challenge. In The Yeti & Phoenix, Tien Khuan again contacted his student, imparting his wisdom and teaching him that Harmonic Energy exists in everyone. Tien Khuan would appear again after the destruction of Big Green by Twin Masters in The Bronze Giant. He told Lin Chung of the Bronze Giant, composed of 107 heroes. He appeared again several times during the following battle. Appearance Tien Khuan is rather short, with white hair in a short ponytail behind his head, thick white eyebrows and a long white beard, which makes him appear quite old. He has small round eyes and a small nose, and he wears a purple robe and has skinny legs and doesn't wear any shoes. Personality Tien Khuan holds extensive knowledge of the secrets of Hidden Kingdom, including Harmonic Energy and the Bronze Giant. He is exceedingly wise, for which Lin Chung reveres him, and also patient. Powers and Abilities Tien Khuan is capable of wielding certain mystic powers, which possibly are derived from mastery of Harmonic Energy. He is known to be able to produce illusions, a skill Lin Chung has never demonstrated. Tien Khuan, having been Lin Chung's master, may possess similar martial arts similar to those of his renowned pupil, though he has never demonstrated them.